I didn't know whether to laugh or cry after reading that Tim Carron Brown was one of the main figures behind Iostar (Dawn's Darkest Hour, April 30).

It is 11 years since I was employed by a company called Channel 11, at the head of which was the same Mr Carron Brown. Channel 11 was intended as a web-platform for the food and drink industry that would stream live broadcast news to subscribers.

As with Iostar, big names were being thrown about to get people excited about the project. It seemed a good idea. Unfortunately, the technology to put the idea into action didn't actually exist, and, within a few months, I was picking up my redundancy cheque along with everybody else.

I would have thought Mr Carron Brown might have learnt a few lessons in the intervening decade. But it seems not - your Iostar article could almost have been written in 1996.Michael Short,Burnley, Lancs

NUJ boycott: pros and cons

Francis Beckett is right to have a dig at the NUJ's recent ADM vote for a members' boycott of Israeli goods (The NUJ should focus on the issues that matter, April 30). It does nobody any favours - least of all, those of us engaged in serious arguments with our various managements over job cuts, pay curbs, excessive hours, the status of so-called "casuals", the defence of quality journalism etc etc.

For whatever reasons, aberrations like this vote occur occasionally in any democratic organisation: accidents happen. That should not distract anyone from the key problems facing all those who work in the media. For our part, those of us in the Telegraph's NUJ chapel will continue to concentrate on those - and then, as Beckett suggests, seek to reverse this absurd decision at next year's ADM.John Carey,NUJ FoC, the Telegraph

· Trades unions exist not only to fight for individual members' rights but have an honourable tradition of solidarity with oppressed peoples. Palestinian unions have asked for the non-violent actions of boycotts and sanctions and Beckett is wrong to say this will have no effect.Frankie Green,Whitstable, Kent

Media training works

I agree with Julian Henry (Why waste money?, April 30) that media training shouldn't be about getting clients to parrot "key messages", but it does have its uses. Broadcast interviews are usually very short: it's hard to explain a complex issue if you're only allowed two or three sentences to respond. And that's assuming that you're not interrupted. Training can help interviewees to cut the waffle and stick to the point.Adrian King,Flagship Consulting, London

· Julian Henry argues that media training irons out personality and emotions. Wrong. Good media trainers build on the strengths of spokespeople, enabling them to be themselves in unnatural conditions. Why should companies risk their share value or reputation for two minutes of entertainment for middle England? Why should a busy executive get up at 5 for a bit of rough and tumble on Today or 5 Live? If a bit of forensic questioning in preparation for the experience helps, why should they not have the opportunity to load the dice in their favour rather than the interviewer's?Cheryl Armitage,media trainer, Armitage Bucks Communications